


A Dying Warrior will Show the Way

by PerfectStorm773



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Squirrelflight and Leafpool replaced with four different kits, The New Prophecy, what if the clans left towards RiverClan instead of past Highstones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-08-20 11:47:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16555202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfectStorm773/pseuds/PerfectStorm773
Summary: A retelling of the New Prophecy, in a universe where Leafpool and Squirrelflight were never born, instead replaced by four kits.When the Clans finally decide to leave their territories behind, Mudfur dies in RiverClan territory, leading Firestar, Leopardstar, Blackstar, and Tallstar to lead the journeying cats across RiverClan territory, in the opposite direction of what should have become the Lake Territories.





	1. Apprenticeship

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this a long time ago, but forgot about it. I rediscovered the files on an old flash drive and I’m rewriting them, adding in a few new ideas.

Firestar looked down at his clan, and took a moment to remember everything that had brought him to this point.

His dreams of being free, his training with Lionheart and Bluestar. His friendships and mistakes, and everything he had built ThunderClan to be.

Now, here he was. About to make his own kits apprentices! 

Sandstorm sat behind their four young kits, all barely six moons old and eager to begin their long journey to being Warriors. Well, Warriors and one Medicine Cat.

”Morningkit,” Firestar called up his first daughter. She was a tiny little tortoiseshell when she was born, and now she was growing just as tall as the other apprentices, with his own bright green eyes staring back at him. “Is it your wish to train as a Medicine Cat under Cinderpelt?”

”It is.” Morningkit’s voice was sure as she spoke. She was always the most self-assured kit in her litter, but Firestar knew that between her own determination and Cinderpelt’s skill and patience she would be a Medicine Cat to be remembered. 

Firestar nodded to Cinderpelt, who strode confidently into the clearing, and touched her nose gently to her new apprentice. 

“Then, Morning _paw_ , you will accompany Cinderpelt to the next Half-Moon gathering to be introduced formally to your ancestors.” Cinderpelt whispered something into Morningpaw’s ear, then the two of them moved back into the crowd to continue watching the ceremony.

Firestar beckoned his second daughter up. Gorsekit strode up with confidence in her step. Unlike Morningpaw, who had Firestar’s own big fluffy coat of fur, Gorsekit favored her mother, who’s own thick fur lay flat and sleek in its own light gold tabby and gray patches. Her white paws were a little stained from the soil around her feet, and he doubted Sandstorm was able to have her sit and wash, even when she was about to be introduced to the clan and her mentor!

”Dustpelt.” Firestar called the dark colored warrior from his seat by the Highrock, and waited for him to stand next to his new apprentice before he leaped down from the Highrock himself to stand before his daughter and one of his senior warriors. 

“Gorsekit, you have reached six moons in age, and it is time that you become an apprentice. From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Gorsepaw!”

”Dustpelt, you gave us an excellent warrior in Ashfur, and I trust you can pass on the same courage and loyalty down to Gorsepaw.”

Dustpelt gave him a respectful nod, and leaned down to touch noses with the shorter apprentice. Gorsepaw may have inherited her mother’s sleek pelt, but she had Firestar’s own stature. As the new mentor-and-apprentice duo moved away, Firestar motioned for Sunkit. Seeing his second born kit was like looking into the past. His bright flame-colored pelt was reflected in his son, nearly hair-for-hair. The only difference was the flecks of amber that spotted in his kit’s light green eyes, like looking at the first growths in new-leaf.

Sunkit padded forward, his steps quieter and his posture lower than his other siblings, but he was more afraid than they had been. Sunkit would feel better when he was settled in his duties, but until then, he would be a little nervous. “Cloudtail!” Cloudtail had very recently had an apprentice in Rainwhisker, but Firestar could hardly be picky, not when his four kits meant that there would be eight apprentices in his clan! But he still felt confident in his choice. And confidence was what Firestar wanted Sunkit to have the most. “Sunkit, you have reached six moons of age, and it is time you become an apprentice. From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Sunpaw!”

”Cloudtail, I taught you to be a warrior, and although it was never easy for me,” Firestar heard amused purrs coming from those who remembered Cloudtail’s apprentice days, “You are an extraordinary mentor and I hope you pass down all your quick thinking and confidence down to Sunpaw.”

Cloudtail rolled his eyes at his own leader, but Firestar just twitched his whiskers as Cloudtail led Sunpaw to sit next to his sisters and their mentors.

Finally, Hawkkit slunk into the clearing. His last-born and smallest kit had a white pelt with brown spots. His own appearance reminded him of Princess, his kittypet kin in twolegplace, but Sandstorm saw her own father in him, pointing out his long bushy tail and fur that was thicker than his and Sandstorm’s put together. Yet, Hawkkit was still small. He gets sick easily and has spent just as much time in the medicine den as he has in the nursery. He was a twig of a kit, and hardly looked old enough to be here at the ceremony, but Firestar was hardly about to leave him behind his littermates. So he called on the last mentor to be named today. 

“Brightheart.”

Brightheart stepped forward, her single eye warm as she looked at her first apprentice. Firestar had worried before that she wouldn’t ever be strong enough to be a mentor, but Cloudtail had put that thought out of his head the moment he had tried to bring up his concerns, not four sunrises ago. ‘ _Brightheart is strong,’_ he had said,  _‘she more than deserves a chance to be a mentor. More than me, more than Dustpelt. Just give her a chance.’_

Firestar began the ceremony once more. “Hawkkit, you have reached six moons in age, and though you are smaller than your littermates you have the heart of the hawk you have been named for. With time and training you will grow to be a great warrior, just as all those around you. From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Hawkpaw!”

Hawkpaw sat ever so slightly taller, and Firestar spoke again, “Brightheart, you have faced your destiny with braveness unlike anyone around you, and you have the heart of a LionClan cat, through and through! I trust you to pass all you know down to Hawkpaw.”

”I will, Firestar.” Brightheart answered him, but her voice was not focused on him, but rather the apprentice at her feet, and Firestar knew he had made the right choices.

But in a blink, the camp was clear of all but his four kits. They stood taller than he could imagine, and though they were still on the ground, he could smell the scents of StarClan all around him, and even without the wise words of his ancestors, he knew that these kits had greatness waiting for them, just over the horizon. 


	2. How it all begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be posting this fic chapter by chapter in accordance with Midnight up until the journey begins, in which there will be some bigger changes.

Gorsepaw sat out by the apprentices den, the shade from the ferns keeping her cool from the midday Green-Leaf sun.

The camp was crawling with her clanmates as they all moved around and began their day. Gorsepaw and already brought a morning meal to the elders, but she knew she’d most likely spend another day holed up in camp. Sunpaw and Hawkpaw were both already out of camp, going hunting or heading to the sandy hollow to train. But her own mentor had spent the last few days in the nursery, fetching Ferncloud some wet moss, a mouse, or just laying alongside her and their new kits.

she didn’t begrudge her mentor the time he was spending with his family, but she wished she was just a moon or two older, so she could go out on her own. 

But just a moment later she heard some cat mew her name. Looking around she saw Dustpelt outside the nursery and speaking to Brambleclaw. 

Brambleclaw must have felt her eyes on him, and turned to look at her. She gave a small dip of her head, but right before she was going to look away, and give the two Warriors their privacy, Brambleclaw dipped his head back, inviting her to come join them. Maybe she’d get out of camp today after all!

 She got to her paws and trotted up her her mentor and the young warrior, excited to see what would be said, but trying to slow her stride enough to not appear like an overexcited kit. She dipped her head down as she came to a halt before them. 

“You’re going to go on a hunting patrol.” Dustpelt told her. “The patrol will have you and Brambleclaw, and Sandstorm and Sorreltail.” 

 _Sorreltail must be so excited!_ Gorsepaw twitched her ear as she saw her mother with her former apprentice standing by the tunnel out of camp. Sorreltail had only become a warrior a sunrise ago. This would be her first hunting patrol as a named warrior!

When Gorsepaw came to her senses she noticed that Dustpelt was looking at her with a half-exasperated, half-fond look while Brambleclaw just looked annoyed.

”I’m sorry?” Gorsepaw squeaked. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

Brambleclaw let out a frustrated sigh, but Dustpelt flicked his flank with his tail. “As if you never missed something Firestar said.” He chastised the younger cat. “I said, Gorsepaw, that you and Brambleclaw are to go hunting towards Tall-Pines while Sorreltail and Sandstorm are going to hunt by the Owl Tree. In this heat we don’t want to scare away any prey with four pairs of lumbering paws.”

”Yes, Dustpelt.” Gorsepaw dipped her head, fighting back an irritated ruffling of her fur. Did she have to go with Brambleclaw? Nothing any apprentice ever did was quite right, even though he had been a warrior for no longer than a season and a half! She’d much rather hunt with her mother or Sorreltail. She was fun, and wouldn’t treat her like a useless kit.

”Then let’s go.” Brambleclaw turned away without anything more to say, and headed for the thorn tunnel. Strangely, though, Gorsepaw coildntell his mind wasn’t on the coming task. It was much further away.

The hunt went as well as Gorsepaw had expected it to. The day was hot and the undergrowth was all dry and stiff. Each step their paws made was echoed by the splitting of bracken or the crunch of dry leaves and grass. By the time the sun had reached its highest point in the sky, Brambleclaw and Gorsepaw were walking sluggishly back to camp. Brambleclaw was carting a good-sized Squirrel and Gorsepaw had a wood thrush. It would take care of the Elders’ meal tonight, but Gorsepaw hoped that the other patrols had brought enough food back for all the apprentices to have at least a mouse-sized portion at least. The forest had seen droughts before, Sandstorm had told her, but this one was lasting too long and it was too hot. The clan was going hungry.

But at least Brambleclaw was quiet during their hunt. Part of Gorsepaw had begun to worry. Last time she had hunted in a patrol with him he’d spent a good chunk of time telling her what she did wrong, even if she had thought her catch had been perfect. Even when Dustpelt had complimented her catch. But then again, it was too hot to do anything but their duties. As soon as they were done they could go back to camp and laze in the shade. 

After the two of them dropped their own catch on the meager fresh-kill pile, Gorsepaw took a few steps back, eyeing the amount of food in it, before she glanced towards the elders den. They didn’t seem to have been fed. 

“They haven’t eaten today, if that’s what you’re wondering.” 

Gorsepaw jumped out of her skin, and turned to see her sister looking at the den as well. She lashed her tail, trying to lay her fur flat as she answered with a nod. “Has Ferncloud or Goldenflower eaten?”

Morningpaw nodded. “Rainwhisker caught a nice, fat dove. I bought it to them just a little while ago.”

”I’ll go feed them, in that case.” Gorsepaw was about to snatch up her squirrel when Morningpaw took it first. She carried it by the tail, which freed her to speak.

”There’s no need to do it by yourself, and one squirrel won’t fill four bellies. Come on.”

Gorsepaw purred and picked up two mice from the pile. They seemed fresh enough to keep Dappletail happy. She bounded over, right at Morningpaw’s heels when she felt eyes on her. Turning around, she saw Brambleclaw and her father staring at her and talking to one another. 

Firestar tunes and walked away not a moment later, but as she saw that Brambleclaw’s eyes remained on her, she felt a cold chill seep into her fur.

Something didn’t feel right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m thinking about making a tumblr to post art and updates about this story.   
> I’ve got some character designs for Gorsepaw, Morningpaw, Hawkpaw, and Sunpaw, but I’m not quite sure how it would be received.   
> Thoughts?


	3. Heavy feelings in the air

Hawkpaw was already awake when Thornclaw ducked his head into the apprentices den. “Dawn Patrol.” He said simply when he saw the light reflecting from Hawkpaw’s eyes. He left and Hawkpaw forced his tired limbs to support him as he stood.

He neared the exit when a fluffy tail blocked his path. “I could cover for you, if you’d like.” It was Sunpaw, his littermate was still curled in his nest, but his eyes were bright. “You just got better. You should be resting.”

Hawkpaw shook his head and pushed through the ferns. The Clan needed every paw, and he was sure that Cloudtail had some kind of training planned for his brother.

Hawkpaw joined the patrol at the Thorn Tunnel and braced himself. It was true that he had been sick, and he probably should rest, but...

A heavy feeling settled deep into his belly. His littermates were far ahead of him, striding to their warrior names while he lagged behind. In his few moons of training, he’d learned only the basic defensive moves and had caught little prey, while his sister and his brother had brought down a pheasant together and have learned to fight while he had laid in Cinderpelt’s den with a fever and aches. Maybe that’s all he could really do.

Brambleclaw and Ashfur took the middle positions of the patrol while Thornclaw took the lead. The older tabby gave him a concerned look. “Are you feeling up to this?” He asked, “we could always-“

”I’m fine.” Hawkpaw’s fur felt warm. “I’m not sick anymore, I can patrol.”

Thornclaw didn’t look convinced, but he was hardly about to argue. The Thorn Tunnel was behind them soon enough, but it was climbing the ravine that had Hawkpaw nervous. Looking up at the wall of stone and earth made his thin legs ache.

Thornclaw made it up in a heartbeat, and Brambleclaw followed soon after. Ashfur took just a moment longer, and then it was his turn. 

He hauled himself onto the first flat rock, and bunched his legs underneath him to leap to the next. The moment he leaped, he knew he had misjudged the distance. His claws snagged on the stone, but they were the only things keeping him from tumbling back down to the bottom. 

“Are you coming, Hawkpaw?” He heard Brambleclaw call back. They were no longer just at the ravine, they sounded like they were more than a few fox-lengths into the forest.

Hawkpaw knew he should call for help. He knew that if he fell he’d be back in the medicine den again. He knew he couldn’t haul himself up this rock. But still...

”Yes!” He hoped that the patrol didn’t hear the quiver in his voice. “I’ll be there in a moment!” Hawkpaw felt his tail bush out as his claws began to slip. His tail lashed and he tried to bring his hind leg up to grip the rock, his claws slipped more.

Images of himself falling to the ground began to flash in his mind. He thought of Cinderpelt’s leg, of Sorreltail, who spent moons in the medicine den waiting for her leg to heal.

His toes burned from holding on and he was sure his claws would be shredded. He was about to slip.

The sound of a cat moving through the Thorn Tunnel alerted him. He felt ashamed. Now one of his clanmates would see him this helpless. He is the kit of Firestar! Leader of ThunderClan. His mother is the best hunter the clans have ever seen, and yet here he was.

He screwed his eyes shut tight and waited for teeth to grab his scruff and haul him back to camp. 

But they never came.

instead, Hawkpaw felt a head pushing him up. He opened his eyes and saw his own paws sliding forward on the rock.

”Well, don’t just sit there!” He heard Morningpaw’s voice say, “climb!”

Hawkpaw did as he was told, and found his footing. Once he was steady on the stone, he looked down to see his sister just below him. Her tortoiseshell fur blurred by him as she climbed up to the top. She turned back to the ravine and crouched down to look at him, with her whiskers twitching. “Cinderpelt sent me to join your patrol and gather some marigold or thyme. Good thing, too.” She turned her head and looked at a small stone jutting out of the cliff. “Put one of your front paws there,” she turned her head and gestures to a bigger stone just a little further up, “and haul yourself onto there. From that stone you can just jump up here!”

Hawkpaw followed her instructions, and though his hind legs felt tingly, he had made it up on his own!

Mostly.

The crunchy sound of paws on leaves sounded the arrival of the rest of the patrol, and Hawkpaw turned to see them. 

Thornclaw was looking at Morningpaw, with a question rather than at Hawkpaw with annoyance. 

“Cinderpelt sent me.” Morningpaw said, walking right up to Thornclaw as if he was just another apprentice and not the warrior leading the patrol. 

 _But then again,_ Hawkpaw tilted his head, Morningpaw is a medicine apprentice. She and Cinderpelt lived by a different code than he and the other warriors and apprentices did.

He didn’t quite understand all the different rules. They were all cats. And they were all ThunderClan. Cinderpelt and his sister had both been very kind to him, over the many times he’d been staying with them in their den. The scent of the herbs was nice, and even though they spoke with StarClan they didn’t act like they were more important. But he was going to be a warrior. He didn’t need to understand all of their laws. He just needed to learn his own.

Morningpaw had continued to explain while he was in his own thoughts, so he hardly noticed when they began to move back into the patrol. 

“We’ll be checking Snake-Rocks.” Thornclaw said to her from the front of the patrol. “This heat will bring adders from their borrows so stay together and stay alert.” 

The trees began to taper out into a stony clearing. The soft dirt turned coarse and sandy and large stones began to jut out of the ground. Sparse plants grew around the edges and from around the rocks, and Morningpaw beckoned him over with her tail. She was nosing through some tall plants with small sunlight-colored flowers on them. It must be marigold.

Hawkpaw made his way over to her, scanning the ground around him, carefully scanning for any of the diamond-patterned snakes. He’d only seen one once before. A warrior had brought a dead one to camp one day and showed all the kits and apprentices, and even a warrior or two the creature so they would know how to spot one.

”Help me pick some.” Morningpaw asked him, “Bite the stems near the bottom, so we get leaves and flowers.”

Hawkpaw glanced over his shoulder to where the rest of his patrol was carefully checking around the stones. 

“Go on, Hawkpaw.” Brambleclaw told him, “we can finish on our own.” 

Hawkpaw slumped but obeyed. He reached out to pick a frond, but a new scent stopped him. It smelled foul. Not a cat, or prey, or another clan. “Thornclaw, Ashfur?” Hawkpaw called, “What do adders smell like?”

”Very clean.” Ashfur spoke first. “A bit like the sand and the rocks, but with something sour.”

“I smell something.” Hawkpaw said, unease prickling his fur. “It’s rank.”

Brambleclaw opened his jaws. “Badger.” The fur on his spine rose. “Hawkpaw. Morningpaw. Back away from there.”

Hawkpaw felt his sister nudge his flank, and they made their way over to the rest of the patrol, glancing side to side. Hawkpaw didn’t know what a badger looked like, but he didn’t doubt he’d know one when he’d see one.

Brambleclaw had his eyes on them, but his head jerked to the forest, his tail bushing out. Hawkpaw followed his gaze and felt his blood freeze. There was a large black-and-white animal stomping towards the Snake-Rocks.

”Run.” Brambleclaw yelled to the apprentices. “Scatter!”

Brambleclaw shot into the undergrowth and Thornclaw and Ashfur dived away. Hawkpaw knew what he should do. Brightheart told him his first day into the forest. Scatter from a badger. They won’t know what cat to follow and sometimes just give up. Foxes are different. They’re cunning like a cat but strong like a dog. You have to be smarter.

But Hawkpaw was not scattering or being clever. His paws were frozen into the sand as he looked into the small black eyes of the badger. 

Morningpaw was still behind him. He could smell her fear but she still stayed. The badger was getting closer. There was no need to decide which cat to follow with two right here.

”Hawkpaw!” Morningpaw’s voice was shaky and strained. “We need to run  _now_!”

Her teeth bit into his tail and the small jolt of pain from the tug she gave brought him back into reality. He turned and ran after her, hard on her paws as they raced towards the camp. But he could hear the lumbering thing chasing after them. It’s paws crushed the undergrowth and it’s breath was loud in his ears and hot on his tail.  Morningpaw leaped over a fallen tree but Hawkpaw hit his hind legs on it as he tried to follow. His jump halted and he crashed to the ground. Morningpaw kept running.

Winded, Hawkpaw didn’t get up right away. He heard the badger slow to where he lay on the ground. Teeth gripped his flank and he yowled as the hot pain only grew as the badger began to pick him from the ground. But his cry was not the only in the air.

Warriors burst from the trees, shocking his attacker and making the badger drop him back down. Hawkpaw turned his head and saw  Mousefur and Firestar attacking the badger head-on while Sandstorm and Sootfur went strong at its sides. 

Firestar had climbed to the badgers back and was claws ferociously at its face. The badger growled and whined as blood began to flow from its eyes. 

Sandstorm clawed at its flank and yelled out to her mate. “Get Hawkpaw safe!” She told him, “We can take care of this!”

Firestar didn’t show a second of hesitation as he leaped down and grabbed Hawkpaw by his scruff, carrying him back to camp and running hard enough to kick up clumps of earth and moss. 

Graystripe and Cloudtail stood at the top of the ravine. Firestar slowed to join them and carefully, the three of them maneuvered Hawkpaw down to the camp. 

Morningpaw was pacing the clearing and bounded up, Cinderpelt following closely behind.

”Can he walk?” Was Cinderpelt’s first question. She nosed his flank as Firestar set him down, and he wimpered at the sting.

Hawkpaw tried to get up, he made it onto his forelegs but his hind legs would not take his weight. He was scared to turn around, but forced himself to look. His tabby fur was stained dark and the white was streaked with red. The bites burned as he let himself sink to the ground, and he covered his nose with his front paws. 

He was in the center of the clearing and many of his clanmates were gathered around the sidelines, looking at him fail to even stand.

Cinderpelt was not fazed by his lack of response. “Morningpaw, go to the den and fetch some burdock root, some horsetail, and dandelion.”

Morningpaw dashed off without even a nod and disappeared into the medicine clearing. 

“Firestar, you need to calm the clan.” Hawkpaw peered up at his father. His stance was rigid and his tail was slowly going from side to side as his eyes stared wildly at his son. “Firestar!” Cinderpelt hissed low. “Now. The Clan knows there’s a badger around. You need to make them feel safe.”

Firestar looked into Cinderpelt’s eyes for only a moment, before the fear in his eyes was closed away. He left to the High-Rock to call for calm. 

Cinderpelt called over Brightheart, who padded over carefully. “Lick his wounds.” Cinderpelt told her, “His fur needs to be clean for the herbs, and you need to keep him warm. I fear he’s going into shock.” 

His mentor lay herself around him, and began to lick at his fur. It hurt, but her felt the warmth from her fur begin to seep into his own. 

Morningpaw ran back with her jaws full of plants, and with one paw raised high and wrapped in cobweb. 

“I know you didn’t say cobweb,” she sai as she set her burdens down, “But-“

Conderpelt gave her a nod as she began to chew the horsetail and burdock. Morningpaw didn’t spare a glance as she guided the dandelion blooms to his mouth. “Can you eat these?” She asked, nudging his muzzle. 

Hawkpaw obediently lapped up the flowers. The sound of the clan faded into the background as he became drowsy. His eyes fell shut and the world fell away.

~*~

Morningpaw was nudging the moss in her brothers nest closer to him when a shaft of moonlight opened into the den. She turned her head to see Cinderpelt peering in at her. Her eyes were soft as she spoke. “Hawkpaw will be fine while we’re at the Gathering. Sandstorm and Brightheart will both be here, and if they need help they’ll send Spiderpaw to fetch us.”

Morningpaw nodded. “Is it time to leave?”

”It will be soon. Groom your fur and come outside.” Cinderpelt ducked out and Morningpaw could hear her pawsteps. She turned to see her brother, deep asleep from the mixture of poppy seeds and the soothing effect of the dandelion. The bites on his haunches were deep, but they weren’t deadly. She had helped treat them, but she felt awful. Hawkpaw has spent more time in the medicine den than he has in the nursery and the apprentices den put together.

Her heart had fallen when she saw him dangling from the stones in the ravine. Ever since he was born he was sickly. He’d have a chill or kit-cough every moon, Firestar told her that he would get stronger as he grew, but Morningpaw wasn’t sure if she still believed that. He didn’t have the strength to climb out of camp, and he didn’t have the muscle to leap over the fallen oak tree. What life would there be for her littermate?

Morningpaw crept out of the den and silently followed her clan all the way to FourTrees. When Firestar, up at the front of their group, gave a signal, they all raced down into the hollow between the trees and spread out to speak amongst the other Clans. Morningpaw had only been to one other gathering so far, and that time she had her littermates with her. She glanced around the gathered cats, feeling very small and out of place until a pair of gray cats beckoned her over. She didn’t recognize them, but not wanting to appear rude, she decided to join them. 

As she got closer, she began to recognize their RiverClan scent, and as their features became clearer, she had a guess as to who they were.

”You’re one of Firestar’s kits, aren’t you?” One of them asked. She was a sleek silver tabby with kind blue eyes and a cut that split her left ear. The other cat was a dark gray tom with deep orange eyes and minimal dark stripes. He spoke up after. “My name is Stormfur, and this is my sister, Feathertail. Our father is Graystripe. He told us all about you and your littermates.”

Morningpaw dipped her head to them both. “Yes, my name is Morningpaw. I’m Cinderpelt’s apprentice. And Graystripe told you about me?”

Another RiverClan scent touched her nose, and she saw a deep blue-gray senior warrior approach them. Morningpaw recognized Mistyfoot, the RiverClan deputy. “Indeed he did.” She answered for the two young warriors. “So much so that Firestar was embarrassed. Graystripe is very proud of all of you, and Firestar.”

 Morningpaw felt her pelt heat up. What all had Graystripe told them? Mistyfoot was looking at her with gentle eyes. 

Morningpaw scuffed at the earthen ground beneath her, and in an effort to change the subject, asked, “Is all well in RiverClan?”

the three cats went from friendly to secretive in a moment. Feathertail and Stormfur’s posture went from relaxed to alert in a second, and Mistyfoot glanced behind herself.

”We are all well.” She started slowly, “But Mudfur is old. If he was a warrior he would have joined the elders seasons ago. He’s chosen an apprentice, but-“

Stormfur cut her off, “With respect, Mistyfoot, this ThunderClan-“

Mistyfoot cut him off as well, with her chin held high. “This ThunderClan cat is a medicine apprentice and does not care for the petty concerns of Clan borders.” She glanced down at Morningpaw kindly, “it may be good to get her input, and besides. She may as well be your kin.” 

She continued when Stormfur gave a short nod. “Mudfur has chosen a young warrior, Mothwing.”

While unusual, it wasn’t unheard of. “Why is this a problem?”

“Mothwing,” Feathertail answered, “She is very kind. She’s a good warrior and I’m sure she’ll be a great medicine cat. Don’t let this concern you. But,” Feathertail hesitated, “She isn’t RiverClan born. She is the kit of a rogue.”

Morningpaw knew this was supposed to be concerning, she hoped that she could appear conflicted. But really... she couldn’t bring herself to care. A rogue, so what? Morningpaw was half kittypet. Feathertail was half-Clan and so was Mistyfoot!

She was about to give her thoughts when a yowl announced the beginning of the gathering. 

Mistyfoot said her farewell and left to take her spot with the other deputies.

The leaders began speaking, but their words began to muffle. The moonlight shone between the treetops and Morningpaw felt the world slow around her. Beams fell down upon the clans, she blinked and saw one upon an apprentice, one on a warrior sitting near Brambleclaw, and she startled as one fell next to her, illuminating Feathertail and turning her already silver fur brighter than the moon itself.


End file.
